In order for an individual to improve his or her skills at the game of golf, a variety of different teaching and practice methods and devices have been developed. These methods and devices focus on various aspects of the golf swing, both in striking the ball from tee to green and in putting the ball on the green. However, due to the fact that strokes made on the green or putting surface typically account for more than 40% of the overall strokes for any given player, an individual wishing to become proficient at the game of golf must practice the putting stroke.
While the putting stroke is at least as important as the overall golf swing, the devices available for practicing the putting stroke are somewhat limited in their ability to provide a proper “feel” for a proper putting stroke. This is due to the popular notion that the putting stroke, being just a simple pendulum movement, requires only practice to develop an effective putting stroke. Further, of those putting stroke aids available, the majority of aids focus on the alignment of the player with the ball in order to attempt to ensure that the ball is struck in the desired direction when contacted by the putter. These devices address the initial alignment and setup for the putting stroke, but do not provide feedback regarding the motion performed by the individual during the stroke.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a putting stroke aid or trainer that incorporates the functions of providing an individual with assistance in properly aligning the putter head with the ball prior to the stroke, and giving the individual feedback regarding the actual stroke after the ball has been struck by the putter. Further, the device should be easy to use and capable of repeated uses without damaging or wearing out the device.